Fuel-feeding device for gas-producing furnaces.



No. 884,620. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

v S. B. SHELDON. FUEL FEEDING DEVICE FOR GAS PRODUGING FURNACES.

APPLICATIONv FILED .ULY 25. 1907.

Y 4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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PATEANTED APR. 14, 1908.

S. B. SHELDON. 4 FUEL FEEDING DEVICE FOR GAS PRODUGING FURNAGES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[n venor PATENTED APB.. 14, 1908.

s. E. SHELDON. FUEL EEEDING DEVICE EOE GAS PEODUGING EUENACES.

APPLICATION FILED .TULY25.1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEETS.

k/nesses A ffornegs,

l PATENTBD APR. 14, 1908.

i S. B. SHELDON. l FUEL FEEDING 'DEVICE FOR GAS PRODUGING PURNACBS.

APPLIGATIQN FILED JULY 25. 1907.

4 sHnET-SHBBT 4.

r o M m I Witnesses fwd.,

A orneys 25 feeding device mountedV thereupon.

UNrTED sTA'rns -SAMUEL B. SHELDON, OF BUFFALO, NEW-YORK.

'FUEL-FEEDING DEVICE FOR GAS-PRODUCING FUR/HACES.

Application led July 25,

being had to the accompanying drawings,

and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for charging or feeding fuel to the fire chamber of a gas producing furnace and it consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and mpre particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention may be better understood by 2Q reference to the accompanying drawings in WhGh,

Figure l is a view showing, in central vertical section, the upper part of a gas producing furnace with my improved chargin and ig. 2 is a top plan view thereof showing arts broken away. Fig.' 3 is an axial vertica section through the worm and worm-shaft constituting a part of my improved device.

3o 4 is a detail axial vertical section through said shaft ltaken in a plane at right angles to the planeof Fig. 8. Fig .5. is a view showing in central vertical section a modified form of my improved feedin and chargin device. Fig. 6 is a view simi ar to Fig. 5 s owing still another form of my improved device. Fig..7 is E, horizontal section, on the line 7-7 of 6.

As shown in said drawings (Figs. 1 to 4,

inclusive), A indicates the fire chamber of a gas producing furnace, said furnace chamber being surrounded by a wall A1 lined with fire brick A2. Said fire chamber A is covered by aci-refiler cover plate A3 which forms a supportror bed plate for the fuel charging de vices hereinafter to be described, and said plate 4is `provided Awith a central circular 'opening la through which fuel is 'fed to the fire chamber. The fuel feeding and charging devices comprise a rece tacle or hopper B mounted above the circu ar. plate A3 on posts or pillars B1 and joined at its bottom to the upper edge of a cylindric casing or tube B2 Awhich extends through the opening a. VSaid hopper B is rovided on its outer periphery with a circu ar vring or rim b', comprising ay Specication of Lettere Patent.

Patented april V14, 190s.

1907. Serial No. 385,530.

vertical member b1 which is fixed to the wall of the hopper, and a horizontal member b2 which rests upon the pillars B1. At points above the'pillars B1 said ring is provided with radially extending vertical stifening flanges b3. In said tube B2 is arranged a vertical rotative shaft C provided with an outwardly or worm C, of moderate pitch, which rotates within the cylindric casing B2 and, by its rotation, effects the downward feed of the fuel through said casing into the fire charnber A. vlower end and widened to form an inclined deflector or chute (l2 which, by its rotation, scatters. or distributes the fuel in the fire chamber. In order to prevent the'escape of gas through ythe opening a, a water seal is provided etween the casing and the cover plate A3. The sealing device illustrated comprises an annular trough formed on the tical flange al rising from saidplate around the outer periphery thereof, and a like flange 0,2 extendin around the margin of the opening o. A circu ar flange or plate b, fixed to the outer surface of the casing B2, is rovided at its outer edge with a downward y directed `vertical flan e b5 which extends into the said trough and elow the level of the Water in said trough. In the upper part of said hopper B is a circular o ening in which is fitted the neck c of a sma4 ler hopper E by means .of which fuel is fed to said hop er B. Said neck e is normally closed at its ower end by means of a valve or bell e1 fixed tothe lower end of a vertical shaft e2 by means -of which it may be-raised or lowered.

The rotative shaft C extends upwardly through the hopper B and is supported in the casing B2 by being secured at its upper end centrally to a circular, horizontal rotative bearing member C2, which rests upon bearing balls d arranged in an annular ball race which constitutes part of a stationary or non-rotative lower bearin member D located in a' central opening in t bearing member D is su ported at the top of 4the ho per by means o braces-B3 which extend iagonally from points beneath said bearing member to points in the interior of the hopper adjacent to the upper ends of the posts 1, at which points they are secured to the Wall of the hopper. The joint between the rotative parts at the top of the hopper B and the top of the hopper is 'sealed by means directed spiral flange in the form of a screw' The said worm is extended at itsupper surface of the cover plate A3 by la veri e top of the hopper .B. Said I of a `downwardly directed flange c at the outer edge, of the bearing member C3 which dips below the4 level of water in an annular trough which extends around the marginal wise provided omits upper surface with an up- Ward y facing ball race c2 between which and 'a downwardly facing ball race di on a stationary annlar member D1 are arranged bearing balls itaid stationary member D1 is supported Y y cf;4 ved stationary supporting members d2 whichare fixed to the numerotative vbearing member D. The pnrposepf the last described ball bearing formed between the rotative member C2 and the stationary member l)1 is to prevent the shaft C from rising and from being thrown out of line by the thrust of a driving pinion upon the gear teeth c2, as niightocci'ir if said shaft were provided with only one bearing.

vMeans are provided as follows for cooling the rotative shaft and worm and thecasing B2. As shown in the sectional views Figs. 3 and 4, the shaft and the worm are hollow or tubular and the hollow interior of the worin is in communication throughout its entire length with the hollow interior of the shaft. C5 indicates a pi e arranged in the tubular shaft and provi ed at its lower end with branches C and C7 leading to the upper and lower parts, res ectively, of the chute C2. By means of said pipe water is conveyed to the lower end of the worin and thence circulated upward through the tubular shaft and the tubular worm and is Idischarged through an overflow pipe cS at the upper end of said shaft. The casing B2 comprises double walls forming between them an annular water jacket to which water is conveyed by a pipe be. The water is discharged at the upper art of said jacket through an overflow pipe 7., The outwardly extending horizontal flange b2 on the outer surface ol' said casing is cooled by water in a trough formed on the upper surface oll said horizontal flange, by means of an upward extension of the vertical flange bi around the outer margin thereof. The said troughis supplied with water from the overflow pipe 1;?.

While the cylindric casing B2, surrounding the Worm shaft, is stationary or non-rotative and the cover plate A2 of the iire chamber is fixed or stationary, the opening (1 in said late is made larger in diameter than the lbwer end of the said casing B2, which projects through the said opening, so that the said casing B2'is entirely out of contact with the said cover plate; this construction being employed to prevent the communication of heat to the said casing-from the said cover plate, which is exposed to the heat of the burning fuel in the lire chamber. The -ioint .between said cylinder and the cover plate is sealed to prevent the escape of gas by the annular flange b4 and vertical flange b5, which latter dipsfinto the water contained in the sealing trough formed in the cover plate, as hereinbefore described.

late is cooled by the water in the trough iirmed on said top plate by the upright flanges al a2 at its inner and outer margins.

The escape of gas from the top of the hopper B is'prevented bythe water seal between the margins of the bearing plate C and the iixed bearing ring D, while the escape of gas from said hopper through the sma` er hopper E is prevented by the valve or bell el by which the outlet at the lower end of said hopper E is kept normally closed.

In the operation of the apparatus constructed as hereinbefore described, fuel is fed from the smaller .hopper E to the large hopper B by o ening t e valve or bell el which latter is c osed after the introduction of each charge of fuel. The worin shaft C and worin being maintained continuously in rotation, the fuel is fed from the hopper B downward throu h the casing B2 into the fire chamber. T ie said worm C extends at its upper end far enough up into the hopper B to act upon the coal in the lower part ofthe hopper and to ush or carry the saine downwardly throng the said casing B2, as the worm revolves; it being understood that inasmuch as the said casing B2 isstationar the worm acts to feed the fuel downwardlgr therefrom in the manner of a spiral conveyer, although in this instance the downward movement of the coalis aided yby the action of gravity. The rate of feed of the coal, however, is determined or controlled by the speed of rotation of the worm. Upon reaching the lower end of the worm the coal slides downwardly over the deflector or cliute C2; the latter in its rotation spreading or scattering the 4coal evenly in an annular path; the coal so delivered to the fire chainber being spread over the entire surface of the fire, or lessthan the entire surface as desired, in accordance with the angle at which the chute is arranged. It is evident that by rotating the shaft and worin at a suitable speed the fuel can be fed to-the fire chamber at any desired rate of feed and that the worm acts to control and renderi.l

nniforin the downward movement of the coal through the casing B2. By stopping the rotation of the worin, the feeding of the coal is stopped; for the worm is of suoli pitch that the fuel will be prevented by friction from sliding down the inclined upper surface thereof, through the action of gravity, when the worin is not in rotation. Nhen the worm isl rotated, however, the coal by its frictional contact with the casing remains The entire cover practically non rotative and slips down through the tube between the convolutions of the rotating worm.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of construction in a feeding device embracing the general features hereinbeforeset forth. ln this instance the general construction of the producer, including that of the cover plate A3, the hopper B, the smaller hopper E and the supporting means -for said hoppers is genera ly the same Vas before described. In

"this instance, however, the hop er E is .shown as located centrally over the opper B; i 'andthe rotative shaft C of the device herein-before described is replaced by a stationary upright shaft F and thel casing B2 thereof by a rotative casing or upri ht y cylinder G pro- Vided on its inner cylin ric surface with an l`inwardly directed spiral flange, forming an internal lscrew or Worin G1. At its lower Yand vsaid worm is extendedA into the fire chamber in the form of an inclined deflector Aor a chute GZ which by its rotation acts to scatter the fuel over the surface of the re bed, At-its upper end said cylinder G meets the open llower end B of the Astationary hopper B and at its lower end extends into the circular opening a in the -cover plate A3 of the-fire chamber. The shaft F is rigidly supported at its upper end by attachment 'to a hub f which is supported by radial arms F1 attached at their outer ends to the wall of lthe hopper B at points adjacent to the upper ends of the posts B1. At its lower end said shaft engages, and is held from lateral Inove.

ment, by a\transverse bar j" attached at its ends to the rotative casing G at the bottom of the latter and provided with a bearing aperture into which the cylindric lower end Said shaft F is rovided with radially extending longitudinal an fes or ribs Ff, of which two are illustrated .in t e drawing. Said flanges or ribs F2 extend upwardly into the hopper B and by their engagement with the coal in the lower part of the hopper and in the interior of the cylindric casing G, prevent the coal from rotating with the 'casing and worin. 'Ihe said casing G is shown as supported upon the cover plate A3 in such manner as to erinit the free rotation of said casing. n the particular construction shown, an annular, upwardly facing bearing or ball-race a is formed' on the top surface of the plate A3, around the central openinfr c and exterior to the upwardly extending flange a2 thereon, while the said casing G is provided near its lower end with an outwardly extending iiange g on the outer margin of which is formed a vertical depending flange or ring g1, which extends downwardly from the flange g outside of the said iiange a2 on the cover plate. Said ring g1 is provided on .its lower margin with an annular downwardl facing bearing or ball-race; between whicfi andthe upwardly facing annular bearing a are located-aplurality of bearing halls g2. Said bearing balls carr Y the weight of the cylinder q and enable the saine to be easily turned or rotated. Any suitable means will be 4provided for giving rotative movement to the said casing G, said means beingshown in the drawings as comprising beveled gear teeth g3 formed on the top of the ring g and a beveled driving pinion g5 intern'ieshing with said gear teeth. 'lhe joint between the casing G and the cover plate A'" is sealed by a water seal, formed. by the water trough on they upper surface of the cover plateiltnd the ring g on said casing, which extends ilownwardlv into the water in said trough. The joint between the upper end of the casi`ng G and the bottoni of the hopper B is sealed by an annular trough, adjacentto the upper I nargin of said cylinder, formed by Ineans of an outwardly and upwardly extending flange g thereon into which depends the lower edge of a vertical, annular flangeb, attached to and extending downwardly from the outer surface of the said hopper B.

vMeans are. provided for water cooling the supply pipe f3 which passes downwardlyl through the center thereof, and overflow water is conducted from the shaft by a pipe f2 leading from the upper end thereof. The cylinder G has double walls forming between thern an annular water space, while the worm Gl is hollow and is connected throughout its entire length with the said water space.. For supplying water to the interior of the casing and hollow worm, suitable supply and return pipes will be connected with the cylindric casing by means adapted to perinitrotation of the latter. Such water pipe may be arranged in any well known or preferred manner and it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the saine in the drawings. The

,cover plate A3 is kept cool by the water in the sealing trough in its upper surface, which g1 and said plate.

The operation of the deviceshown in Fig. 5 is generally similar to that of the device shown in Figs. l to 4inclusive, coal being fed to the hopper B from the smaller' hopper E and being fed downwardly through the Acasing G, by the action of the worin G1 therein, during the rotation of the casing. The turning' ef the Inassof coal within the said casing is prevented by the wings or ribs F2 on theI stationary shaft F. The coal passing from the lower end of' the worm slides downwardly over the inclined chute or detherein shown, and

fiector G2, which forms a downward extension of the lower end of said worm and is, by the action of said chute or deiiector, distributed or scattered uniformly over the surface of the Vlire bed.

The modified forni of construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 comprises a fire chamber provided with a top )late A3, a .fixed or stationary fuel hopper and a smaller feed hop er E, arranged as shown in Figs. ,1 to 4.'

ln t iis instance" the hopper B communicates at its lower end with the interior of an upright cylindric casing .l within which is arranged a vertical, rotative Vshaft J. The cylindric casing l is fixed or stationary, bein secured to and supported by the hopper and its open lower end reglsters'with the central opening (L in the cover plate A3. In order to prevent communication of heat from the cover plate to the casing said lower end of the casing is free from contact with the cover plate. A water seal is formed be tween the lower end of the casing and the cover plate, consisting of a downward extension i of the casing, larger in diameter than the main part thereof, which surrounds the annular flange 1,2 on the cover plate. Water placed in the trough formed by the cover plate and the flanges @1oz thereon, constitutes a water seal between the cover plate and the said casing I. The stationary cylindric casing l is provided with an inwardly extending spiral flange, forming an internal screw or worm l1. The shaft J is provided with radially and longitudinally extending flanges or ribs J1 J1, of which two are shown in the drawing as extending from opposite sides of said shaft. Said flanges or ribs extend upwardly into the lower part of the hopper B and in the rotation of the shaft serve to impart rotation to the mass of fuel in the lower part of the hopper and'in the said casing, with the result that the coal is carried downwardly through the casing between the convolutions of the worm. -To the lower end of said shaft J is fixed aninclined chute or deflector J2, which rotates with the shaft and operates in the same manner as the inclined chutes or deflectors hereinbefore described to distribute' the fuel, which is delivered to its upper end, uniformly over the surface of the iire bed. The supporting means for the shaft J, illustrated in said Fig. 6, are like those illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 for supporting the shaft C are correspondingly lettered in the drawings. For water cooling the parts of the device which are most exposed to the heat of the lire, the following construction is illustrated in Fig. 6. The shaft J and the vertical ribs J1 J1 thereon are made hollow or tubular and are in connection with each other throughout the entire len th of the ribs. vLikewise, the chute or dev ectorJ2 is made hollow and has its hol? senseo low .interior in eonnectionwith the interior of Athe shaft.l Vater is supplied to the shaft and chute or'v deflector by means of a pipe j which passes downwardly through the center of the shaft and is branched at its lower end 5 the branches leading respectively to the.

double walls and the worm l1 is hollow and in connection throughout vits len th with the annular water space formed etween the double walls of the casing. Any suitable means will be provided-for supplying water to and conducting it away from the interior of the hollow casing and worm. in this instance, as in the forms of apparatus previously described, the cover plate over the lire chamber will be kept cool by water in the sealing trough on its upper surface.

l claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a fire chamber provided with a metal cover plate having .an opening through 'which .fuel is fed 'to said c iamber, of a fuel hopper closed at its top by a top wall, means for introducing fuel into said fuel hopper without opening the same to permit the'escape of gas therefrom, fuel feeding mechanism, comprising two members, one of which consists of an upright cylndric casing and the other of an upright shaft within said casing, one of said mein ers having rotative movement relatively to the other and one of saidfmembers being provided with a spiral rib or worm', a water seal between the lrotative member land the fuel hopper and a water seal between the said casing and the cover plate` A 2. The combination with a fire chamber, provided with a metal cover plate, said cover plate having a central opening through which the fuel is fed to said chamber, 'of a fuel hopper' closed at its top by a top wall, means for introducing fuel into the fuel hopper without permitting the escape of gas therefrom, fuel feeding means comprising two members, towit, an upright cylindric casing and an upright rotative shaft within 'said casing, one of said members being provided with a spinal.- flange or worinz a water seal between the lower end of said casing and the cover ,late and a water seal betweenthe rotative shaft and the said hopper.

3. The combination with a fire chamber,

`said hopper, and ap. uprightrotati-re shaft right shaft extending throug Ithe fuel hopper,

of a fuel h located in said casing and ext`endin .at its upper end through the said top wal of the uel hopper, one of said members being provided With a s iral flange or worm, a 'water seal between tlie' shaft and said top wall of and a water seal between the said casing and cover plate.

4. The combination with a opper closed at its top by a top wall, means for introducing fuel into the fuel hopper while maintaining the same closed to prevent escape of gas, feeding mechanism comprising twomeinbers, to wit, an upright casin communicating at its end with the llottom of the hopper, an a rotative shaft located in the casing and extending through the top Wall of the hopper, one of said members bein spiral flange or worm, a xed bearing ring surrounding the up er end of the shaft, and connected with said) to wall of the hopper,v a horizontal bearing late attached to the upper end of the sha t and having bearing engagement with said ring, a water seal beflre chamber,

provided with a tween said bearing plate and ring, and a water seal between the said casing and cover plate.

5. The combination with a re chamber provided with-a metal coverplate, said cover ate having an openin through which the fuel is fed to said chamber, of a fuel hop er closed at its top by a top wall, fuel feeding prising two members, toewit, an

upright cylindric casing communicating at its upper end with the said hoplper and an upsaid casing,

one of said members having r'otativejmovement with respect to the other and one of said members beingv rovided with a spiral flange or worm, a feed hopper having an opening in its bottom which extends through the top wall of the fuel ho er, a valve closing the bottom of said feedpfiop er, a water seal between the rotative member and the hop er, and a water seal between the lower end) of said casing and the cover plate. he combination with va fire chamber, of

fuel feeding mechanism` comprising two members, to-wit: an upright cylinder casing,l and an upright shaft within said casing, one

of said members having rotative movement relatively to the other and one of said niembers being provided with a spiral flan e or worm, themember to which the said anfre or worm is attached and theworm being ho low and 1n communication with each other 'sup one of 'said members be-l mg rotative relatively to the'other and one of f said members being provided with a spiral flange or worm, a lower fixed bearing ringin the upper art of said ho per, which is connected wit the top wall t ereof, radial arms orting said bearing ring from the side wal s of the hopper, a bearing plate affixed to the upper end of said shaft, an u per fixed annular bearing ring, located a ove said bearing plate, and arms or brackets ri idly sup orting said last named bearing ring rom the ower bearing ring.

8. The combination with a a fuel hopper provided with a top wall', feeding mechanism comprising two members, to wit, an upright cylindric casing, communicating at its upper end with the ho per and a ratative sha t extendinfr throug the hopper and'casing, one of sai( members being rotative relatively to the other and one-of said members being provided with a spiral flange or worm, a fixed bearing ring in the up part of the hopper which is connected with o the up er end of the shaft and bearing on the said ed bearing ring, and a water seal between the upper end of said shaft and the top of the casing, formed by a groove in the said ring, and a vertical flange on the bearing plate extending downwardly into said groove.

The combination a fuel hopper and feedin means comprising an upright cylindric casing and an upright rotative shaft located within said casin said shaft being provided with a worm, sai slfaft and worm eing hollow, andl the worm having its interior s ace in communication with the interior of t e shaft, and water supply and return pipes connected with said s aft.

In testimon that I claim the fore oing as my invention affix my signature in t e presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of July A. C, BYAM, A. H. VOGEL.

fire chamber, of

with a fire chamber, of

the top wall thereof, a bearing plate affixed 

